How it works

One project, from setup to client PDF.

Follow Nova Rebrand, an example design project, from the agreed price to the finished report. See how Phased connects that price with the hours you work, warns when the budget is running out, and keeps later additions separate. Start with one simple project and add phases only when they help.

This walkthrough includes Pro features. 30-day Pro trial · No credit card · Free plan after, data stays

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01 At the start

Create the project

Name the project and assign the client. Nova Rebrand has an agreed price of €5,400, so enter that as the project budget. Using your hourly rate, Phased turns that price into the number of hours you planned for the work.

Billing by the hour? Leave the budget empty and Phased values each time entry at your rate. You can also set the budget directly in hours. Phased warns you as the planned hours run out, but the budget never stops you from logging time.

More on projects and phases
02 As you work

Track the work on the calendar

Drag across the calendar from the time you started to the time you finished, then choose the project and task. For a phased project, choose the phase too. You can also run the timer as you work or add an entry later.

Grid shows when the work happened. List puts the entries together for review and bulk edits. On the Time page, choose a week, month, or custom range, filter by client, project, or task, then download a CSV or prepare a Time Report.

More on time tracking
03 When the job has parts

Split the price into phases

Keep one budget while the job is simple. When the work has distinct parts, split Nova Rebrand's €5,400 price into €1,500 for Discovery, €2,700 for Concept, and €1,200 for Rollout.

Each phase now has its own budget. At €90 per hour, Concept's €2,700 budget provides 30 planned hours; the other phases can keep your usual rate. Time logged before the split stays in place until you choose to move it to a new phase.

How to price work in phases
04 As work progresses

See whether the price still covers the hours

Phased compares the time logged with the hours planned for each budget. You can see the percentage used and the time remaining. At 80%, the status changes to Approaching; above 100%, it changes to Over budget.

Effective rate is the agreed price divided by the hours spent. Discovery's €1,500 over 15 hours is earning €100 per hour so far. The ~ means the rate is still changing as you log time. It disappears when you mark the phase Done.

More on profitability
05 When the brief grows

Mark the extra work Out of scope

The client asks for an extra presentation that was not in the agreement. Mark only those time entries Out of scope. Their hours remain in your records but stop using the time planned for the original work. You decide what counts as extra.

On Pro, price the extra work by the hour or enter a separate amount. Phase and Project Reports call it Additional Work and show it separately from the original price.

Why scope creep eats fixed fees
06 When work is ready

Prepare a report your client can read

A Time Report covers a date range and is available on every plan. On Pro, a Phase Report covers one phase, while a Project Report covers selected phases or the whole project. You can include Additional Work and add your logo and studio details.

Client reports leave out internal figures such as effective rate and budget health. Review the saved pages, download the PDF, and send it to your client. Later project edits do not change that saved version. On Pro, mark phases Reported and Paid as you bill and collect payment.

More on client reports
07 On the next project

Start the next one from a template

On Pro, build a reusable setup on the Templates page or save the current project form as a template. Include the phases, budgets, rates, and task groups you expect to use again.

Choose that template when you create the next project. Phased fills in a copy of the setup, which you can adjust before creating the project. Later template edits do not change existing work.

More on templates

The core workflow, priced for one person

Free includes three active projects, up to two phases per project, time tracking, budgets in hours, clients, Time Reports and data export. Pro costs €7 a month or €66 a year and adds unlimited active projects and phases, money budgets, custom rates, profitability analysis, branded project reports, payment-status tracking and templates.

Phased is built for one person managing their own work. It does not handle staffing, timesheet approvals or accounting. Your first 30 days include Pro, with no credit card required. After that, choose Pro or continue on Free within its limits.

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